If you are looking for a preschool in the neighborhood, the Kenilworth Community Preschool is having an open house soon.

​Here's what they say:Open House – Saturday, February 4, 2017 9am-2pmCome meet our teacher, chat with parents of current students, see the classroom, and pick up an application for enrollment. If you are interested in joining our community and are unable to attend the open house, please contact the membership coordinator at kenilworth.membership@gmail.com with questions, to schedule a tour, and to request an application. Kenilworth Community Preschool is a play-based preschool that welcomes three to five-year-old children into a creative, warm, and inviting environment. As a cooperative preschool, we work in partnership with families and in connection with the community. Learn more by visiting www.kenilworthcps.org.

The Comprehensive Plan Updates will include some zoning changes in Creston-Kenilworth. Marty Stockton from the Bureau of Planning and Sustainability came to the February 2016 meeting to give us a preview of the new zoning map. It is now available here.

Here is the information Marty Stockton provide about the public comment process:

"In regards to testimony (formal public comments) to the Planning and Sustainability Commission on the zoning updates, a reminder that the Proposed Draft of the Residential and Open Space Zoning Map will be released the week of March 7th. Testimony may be submitted starting this week, but not before. [February 22nd's] presentation before the Creston-Kenilworth Neighborhood Association was an early preview of the March 7th Proposed Draft release. Public notice to affected property owners will also be mailed the week of March 7th.

The Neighborhood Association has be receiving more questions than usual about homeless encampments. Portland City Government has declared a housing emergency and has instructed police officers to stop enforcing the "no camping' ordinance through out the city until more indoor shelter space is secured. This leaves many city residents wondering what to do if a campsite is impacting them negatively. Below is some information shared by a Security & Emergency Management Official with the Portland Parks and Recreation Department:

"Recently the City of Portland changed our policy regarding campsite clean-ups. This new policy reflects an equitable set of best practices to address the homeless challenge in Portland in a humane and safe way, while at the same time allowing the City to take appropriate action when the situation calls for it. As has been widely reported, the City Council has enacted a State of Emergency around Housing and Homelessness because we lack sufficient indoor space – whether temporary shelter or permanent affordable housing – to house our approximately 2,000 homeless people living on our streets. The City has prioritized the funding and building of more bed spaces, but in the meantime the City is managing public space in a realistic, balanced manner and is generally permitting very low impact camping. However, criminal activity and gross misuse of public space continues to not be tolerated.

The new policy allows people to safely sleep on our streets with timelines and conditions, but camping is still not permitted in parks and on parks properties. To address camping and related violations such as these, we prioritize a limited number of park rangers for patrols at hot spots and in high impact areas. In addition, last week, the city's campsite cleanup vendor removed a number of camps at Creston Park. It appears that campers are returning and that seems to be the case with enforcement and cleanups, as folks without shelter options tend to move around. We will continue to do what we can to address the issues you report, but are also working with the Mayor's office, social services, and mental health providers on a more sustainable solution.

Moving forward, When residents/businesses/visitors want to report camping issues, here’s the way.The City has a webpage where one may complete a short form about campingwww.portlandoregon.gov/campsite. The webpage form attaches to TrakIT and the form can take downloaded pictures of camping related problems. We encourage folks to use the form.If a resident/business has no access to a computer or requires help to complete the form, they are welcome to telephone City/County Information503-823-4000, Monday-Friday, 8am-5pmfor assistance.You should call 911 for any crime in progress and police non-emergency at 503-823-3333 for afterhours violations as rangers do not work after hours. Calls to ranger customer service help us prioritize their patrols during daytime hours and can be made to 503-823-1637."

OVERVIEW OF THE 20S BIKEWAY PROJECTThe City of Portland will soon be creating a bike-friendly path extending from SE Crystal Springs Blvd to NE Lombard Street. Most of the bikeway will exist on 28th Ave, although in some places, it shifts to 26th, 27th, or 29th Ave. Construction will begin during the spring of 2016, and is expected to be finished within the Creston-Kenilworth Neighborhood before the end of the year. Find more about the 20s Bikeway Project on the Portland Bureau of Transportation's website: https://www.portlandoregon.gov/transportation/62816

IMPACTS WITHIN THE CRESTON-KENILWORTH NEIGHBORHOODWithin the Creston-Kenilworth Neighborhood boundaries, the bike path will be exclusively on 28th Ave.

INTERSECTION AT 28th & POWELLAt the intersection of 28th Ave and Powell Boulevard, a new traffic light and pedestrian/bike crossing will be installed during late spring 2016, and the traffic signal is expected to begin functioning during the summer of 2016. In order to reduce car traffic on the bikeway, cars will not be permitted to make left turns from Powell Blvd onto 28th Ave, nor from 28th Ave onto Powell Blvd.

BICYCLE GREENWAY ALONG 28TH BETWEEN POWELL AND HOLGATE28th Ave between Powell and Holgate will be painted with "sharrows" similar to those that currently exist along the Clinton Street bike greenway. Similar to Clinton Street, there will not be separate bike lanes and automobile lanes. Rather, cars, buses, and bicycles will share the lanes in both directions. Some of the stop signs along 28th Ave will be turned to allow a more continuous flow of traffic.

INTERSECTION AT 28th AND HOLGATEAt the intersection of 28th Ave and Holgate Blvd there will not be any new signals, but there will be regulatory changes in traffic patterns (read: there will be new signs). In order to reduce car traffic on 28th Ave north of Holgate, cars will not be permitted to enter the Northbound lane of 28th Ave from Holgate Blvd or from the Northbound lane of 28th Ave South of Holgate. What this means: if you are driving in either direction on Holgate, you will not be able to turn onto 28th Ave going north. You will be able to turn onto 28th Ave going South. If you are South of Holgate on 28th Ave driving North, you will not be able to continue on 28th Ave across Holgate. Instead, you will need to turn onto Holgate (either east/right or west/left) and use a different numbered street to continue driving North.

PROPOSED CHANGES TO EXISTING BIKE LANES ON 26TH AVE BETWEEN POWELL AND GLADSTONECurrently, most North & South bicycle riders in this portion of the neighborhood use the bike lanes along 26th Ave. The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) and the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) disagree about the safest way to direct bicycle traffic once the construction of the greenway is complete along 28th Ave.

ODOT's position: Nearly all the bicycle traffic will be diverted to 28th Ave, leaving so few bikers along 26th Ave that the narrow bike lanes will not provide enough protection to the few cyclists who continue to use 26th Ave. ODOT would like to remove the bike lanes along 26th Ave and divert all bicycle traffic to 28th Ave, where bicycle infrastructure and traffic diverters will provide a much safer route for cyclists.

PBOT's position: ODOT is underestimating the amount of cyclists who will continue to use 26th Ave. While the 3-foot wide bike lanes along 26th Ave are narrower than the recommended 4 feet, there are published traffic studies demonstrating that even 3-foot bike lanes improve the safety of cyclists when compared to streets with no bike lanes.

THE COMPROMISE: ODOT has agreed to leave the existing bike lanes on 26th Ave during the next 1 - 2 years, during which time PBOT will collect traffic data along 26th Ave and 28th Ave. ODOT will then review the data and decide whether bicycle lanes should remain on 26th Ave.

WHAT YOU CAN DO TO VOICE YOUR OPINIONIf you would like to let ODOT know what you think, you can submit your comments using the contact information below:

reFRESH Cafe at 2860 SE Gladstone (SE corner of Gladstone and 28th Pl) is hosting two free tasting events this month, one for coffee and one for wine. Check it out:

CHEMEX POUR OVER TASTING WITH WATER AVENUESunday, July 19th10:00 am - 11:30 am

"Rising on the banks on the mighty Willamette River during the mild winter of 2009, the Water Avenue Coffee factory creates handcrafted coffees in Portland’s Southeast Industrial District."

Join reFRESH and Water Avenue Coffee for a complimentary Pour Over Coffee event. Aaron Baker, Water Avenue’s wholesale service director will be here sampling various blends of their fair trade and locally roasted beans. He’ll be ready and willing to answer any questions you might have about their coffee and brewing styles PLUS we’ll also be sampling some of our fresh baked treats from Pearl Bakery and Bowery Bagels. Come by for what surely will be a fun and informative event.

TASTE OF THE ISLANDSSaturday July 25th6:30 pm - 8:30 pm

reFRESH is thrilled to collaborate with local wine maker Mark Proden of Island Mana and Bodichitta wine labels for a “Taste of the Islands”. Perfectly aligned with reFRESH’s “Keep it Local” mentality both labels showcase Oregon grape wines (Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Marachel Foch) blending the varietals with tropical flavors such as pineapple, guava, and passionfruit. What truly sets these wines apart is that unexpected pop of flavor that will instantly transport you to the white sandy beaches of Hawaii.

This complimentary event will feature tastings of the labels most popular wines. Passed mini samples of our best selling sandwiches will also be served. Stop by and mingle with your neighbors as well as reFRESH’s co-owners Si Nae Lim and Sara McMahon for what will surely be a fun filled evening.

The Creston-Kenilworth Neighborhood Association will be submitting the following letter to the OLCC regarding the liquor license application at 4513 SE 41st Ave. Feel free to use language from our letter if you are writing one as well. Comments are due Friday, April 3rd, to michael.boyer@portlandoregon.gov.

The Creston-Kenilworth Neighborhood Association is writing with regards to a liquor license application for FigMint LLC at 4513 SE 41st Ave. At several recent community meetings, neighbors and community leaders have expressed significant concerns over this particular application. As a result, the Woodstock Neighborhood Association hosted a meeting between concerned individuals and the applicants, Johnny and Emily Zukle. At this meeting, the Zukles stated that they intend to open a “high-end family-friendly vegan restaurant” named FigMint. A thriving family-friendly restaurant would be welcomed by the surrounding neighborhoods. However, many residents remained concerned because the Zukles own and operate several well-known strip clubs in Portland. The Creston-Kenilworth Neighborhood Association would like to request restrictions on the liquor license for 4513 SE 41st Ave that would be supportive of his stated business interests while protecting the interests of the residents living nearby.

The main cause for concern centers on the possibility that, once they receive a liquor license, the Zukles could change their business model from a family-friendly restaurant to a night club with nude dancers, similar to their other businesses. In this circumstance, the surrounding residences would receive no notification of the changes in the Zukle’s business model, but would likely experience significant detrimental impacts. The proposed location is adjacent to single-family homes, across SE 41st Ave from the Calvary Bible Church, and across SE Holgate from apartment buildings. We feel that a business in the adult entertainment industry would negatively impact the surrounding neighborhood in several ways, including noise from amplified music after 10pm, and the potential for over-served individuals and disorderly conduct. In a meeting hosted by the Woodstock Neighborhood Association on March 25, 2015, Mr. Zukle admitted that he has previously altered a business in this way: a restaurant Mr. Zukle owned was failing and he consequently converted it to a strip club.

In addition, Mr. Zukle stated at the March 25, 2015, meeting that he intends to use a second retail unit in the same building to sell vegan marijuana products. It was unclear from his comments on March 25th, 2015, whether Mr. Zukle intends to sell medical or recreational marijuana, as he referenced both. We are concerned with the possibility for the co-location of a business serving on-site liquor with a business selling recreational marijuana products. Furthermore, the Calvary Bible Church across SE 41st Ave hosts frequent addiction recovery groups at its location, and the availability of recreational marijuana could be troubling for individuals seeking support at the church.

In light of these concerns we request the OLCC require the liquor license include the following enforceable restrictions:

1. Hours of operation will be restricted to the hours of 11:00 am- 9:00 pm Sunday through Thursday and 11:00 am - 10:00 pm on Friday and Saturday (as listed on the current application);

2. No live entertainment, including amplified music and dancing (nude or otherwise) in order to prevent noise disturbances to the surrounding residences. Noise from the establishment will be at appropriate levels for a residential neighborhood;

3. Minors be permitted in all portions of the restaurant;

4. Seating for no more than 36 customers (as listed on the current application), including any outdoor seating, within the 1,000 square-feet area listed on the application;

5. Recreational marijuana sales shall not be permitted on this tax lot.

We request that the OLCC require ownership to re-apply for a liquor license if any changes to these requirements are requested, allowing the neighborhood to comment on any new business model that involves alcohol.

The neighborhood is excited to see the revitalization of this property and hopes to see a successful family-friendly restaurant thrive at this location. At the same time, we do not want to see this applicant change course and use this liquor license to open up any sort of adult entertainment establishment. The requested restrictions not only provide for ownership to open and operate a successful restaurant, but also ensure that the property will not become an adult-oriented business in this mostly residential part of our neighborhood.

If you are interested in writing a letter to the OLCC regarding the liquor license application for the property located at: 4513 SE Holgate, below is an information packed guide on how to effectively write to the OLCC. We will post the official statement from our neighborhood association soon.

Thanks!

Attached are three documents: the first includes scans of all three pages of the liquor license application notice that I received as a resident within 300 feet of the building. The third page of this document has the comment form for community use to voice opposition to the license. Please feel free to print it out and air your concerns. This form should be filled out and sent to:

But before filling it out, please read below: There is definitely a right/efffective way and a wrong/ineffective to oppose liquor licenses!

The second document attached is the City of Portland's Liquor License Recommendation Process, a Community Guide. This document outlines the process which leads up to the liquor license being approved or denied. All opposed to this license must take into consideration the valid grounds for denial (opposition to nude dancing is not grounds for denial btw).

BACKGROUND ON APPLICANTSThe application states Emily Zukle (the wife of Johnny Zukle) as the applicant, however Figmint LLC is registered as a 50/50 partnership.

Johnny Zukle currently operates at least 2 strip clubs Casa Diablo and Black Cauldron.As for stated intentions for the former Hutch on Holgate: a wweek article states:"Zukle doesn’t want to leave out the kids, however. At the old location of the Hutch on Holgate at 4513 SE 41st Ave., he plans to open an “all-ages, family-friendly vegan restaurant, lounge and production facility featuring delicious vegan dining, drinks & desserts.” At the recent Woodstock meeting, Zukle stated he intends to apply to sell medical marijuana from the basement of this location, as well.

LIQUOR LICENSE PROCESSThere are several offices that are involved in this license approval process. The important ones are: ONI Office of Neighborhood involvementThese people receive and review the letters of community opposition or support. This is where our letters will go.

DVD Bureau of Police, Drugs & Vice Division The police give a recommendation to the OLCC based on an investigation into the application and applicant. Ideally this application would receive a "Unfavorable – The Chief of Police finds that there are valid grounds to make an unfavorable recommendation to OLCC as provided by Oregon liquor laws (ORS 471.313). If there is public opposition the recommendation shall also include a request that the OLCC hear testimony from the neighborhood."

OLCC Oregon Liquor Control CommissionIs in the business of approving liquor licenses based on the recommendations of ONI, DVD and other organizations (see attached doc for full info). Their mission statement is "To promote the public interest through the responsible sale and service of alcoholic beverages." They are not in the business of protecting neighborhoods. See this Portland Tribune article about the McLaughlin Blvd hearing to see this committee in action.

GROUNDS FOR DENIAL

-Does the applicant have a criminal record or history of liquor law violations?

-Has the applicant had repeated problems (alcohol related) at another licensedlocation?

-Are there already sufficient licensed premises in the area or is the license not demanded by public interest or convenience?

-Is the business likely to have an adverse impact on the neighborhood or nearby facilities such as an elementary/secondary school, church, hospital, park/child oriented recreational facility or alcohol and other drug treatment or rehabilitation facility?

NOTE: A restaurant alone may not have an adverse impact, but the community may have concerns about the sale of liquor "full on-premises sales license" in a quiet, residential neighborhood. Fact: This location is directly adjacent to a church -Proposed business operating hours btw include 11am-9pm Sundays, and all buildings in the adjacent area are exclusively residential.

NOTE: Nude dancing is highly protected "free speech in Oregon" and is not ground for denial by the OLCC. I believe our our community is concerned that the concept of the business will change without notice to the city of Portland or the community (which is legal to do). Limiting the sale of beverages to beer/wine only would hamper the transition to strip-club in the future. The way to address that is concern about liquor sales specifically, and pushing for a Limited On-Site Sales license (beer, wine, cider only) which promotes a family-friendly atmosphere more desired by the community.

-Is the licensee aware of the activity, willing to take corrective measures, and willing to mediate?

"Liquor laws do not allow the OLCC to deny a license because there is a possibility that granting the license will result in criminal activity. Rather, there must be a reasonable probability that granting the license will give rise to criminal activity. A poor record of obeying liquor laws if the applicant formerly held a liquor license can support the likelihood of criminal activity." NOT GROUNDS FOR DENIAL

Do not include these concerns as the OLCC has no authority to on these issues.-Nude dancing-Litter-Signs or advertising not related to alcohol-Inadequate parking-Traffic congestion-Devaluation of property-Other zoning-related issues.

Recently, T-Mobile sent out notices of a public meeting to discuss an intended cell tower in our neighborhood. One of our board members attended this meeting and was able to voice our collective concerns. Through rigorous research, the board member found that T-Mobile violated 5 administrative rules subsequently our neighborhood association agreed to send out this letter to the city.

In some twist of fate, CKNA has made it to the championships this Saturday (August 2nd, 2014). We play against the Fo-Po Pirates at Mt. Scott Park 2-4. Ice-cream social (Salt&Straw, yum) afterward! All ages, family friendly. We ask that each participant or family contribute $5 to play.

In other news, Block Party on August 5th 6-8. National Night Out is a great time to meet your neighbors and in our neighborhood we meet over delicious BBQ provided by the neighborhood association and Kenilworth Presbyterian Church. Bring a side or dessert to share. We will have live music, face painting, sidewalk chalk, a fire truck and more!